Theft
by TeddyMo
Summary: What I hope Eames was thinking when Bobby got physical with Lionel Shill


**A.N. Random thoughts and observations after seeing Self-Made again last night. I hope this is what was going through Eames' mind as she watched Bobby with Lionel Shill. As usual, I don't own them. **

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"_If I didn't know better, I'd say it was personal."_

Eames watched Bobby stride from the room after questioning Lionel Shill about the too-coincidental similarities between Kira Danforth's novel and Shill's own new book. Looking back at Shill with a thoughtful frown before following Goren from the room, Eames realized with a shock he was right. Goren's behavior _was_ personal.

They met to come to question Shill after going their separate ways, Eames to look for the manuscript of Kira's novel on the publishing company's computer (another Goren hunch), and Goren to talk to Kira's boyfriend D-Tour about a character in Shill's purported new novel, who Goren suspected was based on D-Tour. Suspicions confirmed and manuscript in hand, expounding on his theory that Shill had taken Kira's manuscript and then killed her to hide the fact he was passing it off on his own, Eames couldn't quite see the connections.

Stopping to look at her closely, Bobby said, "Trust me. I know guys like this."

Eames shot back, "I know you do. I've met your mentor." She hadn't missed the surprise and hurt, quickly hidden, that passed over Bobby's face, and wished she could learn to bite her tongue. "Well – this isn't about that," was his somewhat flustered response.

_The hell it wasn't_, Eames thought now. Quiet in the car during the ride to Shill's building, flipping through the manuscript, stopping to read here and there, by the time they got to Shill's condo Bobby was simmering with suppressed anger. Normally somewhat reticent when questioning suspects on their own turf, letting her carry on most of the conversation and only interjecting a question or comment here and there, Eames was taken back by the aggressive attitude Bobby assumed in taking control of the questioning. And when he grabbed Shill's hand, applying obviously painful pressure and forcing him to sit in one of the chairs in front of his own desk, Eames had been frozen in shock. Bobby _never_ got physical with a suspect, unless the suspect started it, and then only enough to protect her and anyone else who happened to be present. _She trusted you, and you stole from her. Admit that you're a fraud. I want to hear you say it. _Only after Shill admitted that he took Kira's novel for his own did Bobby release his hand from the steel-like grip. Staring at Shill for a few seconds as though he'd like to hit him, Bobby rose from the chair and walked passed Eames without looking at her, without a word, picking up the manuscript and galley print as he went out the door. Rooted to the floor, still reeling somewhat from his behavior, all she could do was watch him go. Shill's comment that Bobby's behavior seemed personal released her from the spell, and after one last look at Shill, she turned to go.

Now she understood. Declan Gage had never admitted to being a fraud, the so-called master profiler who couldn't see what he had done to his own daughter, who had stolen Eames herself away from Bobby. And, she realized with a slight jolt, perhaps subconsciously she _had _blamed Bobby a bit for Gage and his daughter. While Bobby had withheld himself from her in the days and weeks following her kidnapping, not wanting to, as he put it, _burden her with his own insecurities and fears_, she now saw that she too had been keeping a distance from Bobby. Jo Gage had not just "stolen" Eames' physical presence; she had stolen some of her sense of security in their partnership, made her question Bobby's ability to always have her back. Now she could see how Bobby's rage with Shill stemmed from the cavalier way Shill had manipulated Kira for his own purposes in his relationship as her mentor, a relationship that should have nutured her talent, helped her make her way in the world, protected her. Just like Declan and Jo Gage had tried to manipulate Bobby – except Kira came to see what Shill was doing to late to save herself.

_Somehow, I have to tell Bobby that now I understand, _was Eames' last thought as she went in search of her partner ------


End file.
